Treasured Destiny
by Kisuru-chan
Summary: A collection of shorts regarding Nanoha's possible thoughts and strong motivations for friendship with Fate throughout the first season. One-Shot.


**AN with additional stuffs -**

This is not exactly a fanfiction, but my muse was sparked enough to write this. Just to explore Nanoha's character. Spoilers for the first season or Movie 1st. And as my friend pointed out, it ended up as a bit of a recap, but not really at once. If you have suggestions on what to condense, go ahead. These were just sections to follow the original storyline.

**Treasured Destiny**  
>by Kisuru-chan.<p>

**The Beginning Helplessness  
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Takamachi Nanoha was a kind and ordinary nine-year-old third grader. Her days blended together as she attended cram school and elementary school, participated in the mundane activities of her age group, and pondered the everlasting question of how to weave a feasible, meaningful future for herself and validate her existence. On top of that, she was blessed enough to have and caring family and two trusting and loyal best friends named Tsukimura Suzuka and Alisa Bannings. Truthfully in this relatively serene lifestyle nothing was evident to make Nanoha remotely special or outstanding.

It was actually quite dull.

However, even if she was a young person, a mounting depression from her early childhood enveloped her whether she was alone or in public. Everyone around her cradled the keys to various futures in their hands and had someone irreplaceable to discuss their personal issues with, but she was without such luxuries to cherish. Perhaps it was inevitable that her family's bakery, Midoriya, would be an option to lean upon when she aged into an independent woman and was collecting her bearings, but that notion was far too plain and unsatisfactory for her tastes. She loved the bakery but was not fond of staying lodged and rooted to such a modest place for a lifetime - it was not in Nanoha's ambitious nature. Instead, she hoped to proceed into the outside world and work for a righteous cause.

But Nanoha was positive she lacked the unique skills, talents, and characteristics to paramount her placement in society, though her will for acceptance tugged on her heartstrings. In response to viewing herself in this manner, an unshakable force within the female yearned to neatly lace the ribbons of her own golden path together so a new daybreak would shine. She desperately craved a reason to accomplish a set of goals and relished the mere suggestion of something or someone to steer her upon an adventurous dream of delight. There had to be a profession in the universe only she was capable of managing with her whole being, and she was willing to undertake whatever effort and stress her perfect occupation would require.

If a small wish, or an unforeseen coincidence, materialized to pave Nanoha's road of success and happiness, she would be eternally grateful. She would cling to the opportunity and do her very best to keep up to any expectations. It was a shot in the darkness, but she daydreamed for a miracle to happen from every dawn to dusk in pursuit of her life's purpose and the career which could suit her. At some point she might change her helplessness into productiveness, but time and the bonds of relationships yet to be formed would only tell when.

**Magical Lyrical Start  
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In the swift blink of an eye, Nanoha's delayed request for a splendid future was fulfilled in an abnormal fashion. A mountain of responsibility was hauled onto her shoulders without much advanced warning, and at first she did not comprehend all of the information bombarded on her. In her wildest dreams she had not foreseen magic as a component of her prospective destiny, but that lifestyle was what she signed herself up for when she met Yuuno.

The sandy-haired ferret boy named Yuuno Scrya flipped her dreary days into something worthwhile and extravagant - well-worth the price of sealing dangerous artifacts called Jewel Seeds. Nobody would suspect an injured ferret as the turning point to their sadness, but that was the result of an unexpected encounter and the events which ensued. Yuuno elaborated on detailed aspects of magic and his mission, and she accepted his wishes as if they were her own. Things were tough during those moments, but her resolution was steadfast, shoving right towards the next obstacle afterwards.

Though, anyone would have envisioned Nanoha to be paralyzed with fright in discovering her magical talents and the existence of such powers in general, and that was precisely what happened. She was terrified when she was forced to fly in her Barrier Jacket after its initial activation to protect her city and Yuuno; no descriptive words could justify the jolt of realization that she alone was dependable for the capture of the monster. But shortly after defeating the Jewel Seed and composing herself, her confidence skyrocketed. Raising Heart's voice and willingness to protect her further structured Nanoha's desire to work to her best efforts, and that filled her to the brim with jubilance. She wanted to make the jewel-shaped device proud of her, and assist Yuuno in keeping everyone safe from the same danger she had to affront. Those points were all of the motivation necessary.

But as the duo hunted for Jewel Seeds and sealed the entities whenever there was free time between school hours, Nanoha recognized a pinprick of light at the end of the pitch black tunnel she had been wandering through for years. Yuuno was an immediately dear friend and a wonderful mentor to assist her in harnessing her abilities - he honestly was. But the archeologist was not the ultimate friend she had pictured for comfort. A vital ingredient was missing, or the spice of mutual understanding she always hoped for. Her heart ached for the day when she would confront that person somewhere in the universe. When she did, she would sincerely express her buried, innermost feelings with them, and alleviate her distress when the other showed her a relaxed, softhearted smile. Plus, if the other person had their own shortcomings she would be there as their source of relief. Nanoha shared a similarly strong bond between Suzuka and Alisa, but it was not the identical to the ideas that had formulated in her mind.

So on a level, Nanoha was somewhat adamant in her belief that another special friend was yet to emerge. The stagnate wheels of her life's story were slowly rolling forwards, and new meetings were certain to arrive sometime in the spring when the cherry blossoms tumbled on top of the freshly grass-laden Earth.

**New Rival and the Friendship That Starts with a Name  
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Nanoha was unprepared for the arrival of Fate Testarossa during one of the Jewel Seed rampages. The girl's name was definitely not a Japanese name and particular on its own terms, but a certain ring to its pronunciation tingled on Nanoha's tongue. The name Fate sang of someone who would grant an impressive destiny, and the brown-haired female was enthralled by the mysterious and foreign magical girl. Fate's composure was spellbinding, and Nanoha felt instantly attached to her without any prior judgment. So in an on-the-spot decision without an ounce of hesitation, Nanoha firmly concluded that she would make Fate Testarossa her friend, whether her rival was cooperative or not.

Fate-chan. The honorific was a simple gesture to showcase her attachment to the black mage and demonstrate friendliness towards her. It was the first step in the process of friendship – the power to call a new friend's name with humble intention and seal a bond. Nanoha prayed that Fate would instantly understand her intense, heartfelt desire to be friends, but such a notion was at first hapless and became a gradual, rocky slope to climb. No responses were provided. It seemed Nanoha kept stumbling at each occasion when she attempted to gain Fate's attention and respect, but slowly, ever so moderately, the blond showed fragments of emotion instead of raw pain in her eyes and a deadpan expression. Several of Fate's ambitions and secrets were hidden from Nanoha, but it was apparent the black mage was inflicting psychological and physical harm upon herself by recklessly attacking Jewel Seeds. These worrisome signs were obvious with one simple glimpse, and it only stirred Nanoha's emotions higher in favor of friendship.

When Nanoha tentatively called "Fate-chan" for the first time, asking for permission to even call Fate in such a familiar manner, her rival did not comment, but a perplexed and dismayed expression tugged on the blonde's petite face. Still, the white mage persevered and shouted the enigmatic stranger's name to chide her into listening and understanding the errors she was making. An endless, tedious cycle limped along while neither of them was eager to fight but for the sake of collecting the Jewel Seeds did through stormy weather and to stop a ferocious kitten.

Nanoha's goal was merely a connection between the two through speaking to each other with kind words. That was all, and even if it seemed nonattainable and she would have to yell out her thoughts, that was what it would lead to. So in respect, Nanoha became engrossed in the possibility of exchanging information about herself with Fate, or vice versa, to ease both of their troubles without their weapons clashing in between breaths. The black mage had a gentle spirit - Nanoha was pained to see that rejected in favor of violence - and she wanted to get the bottom of the self-inflicted torture. Her persistence intensified when Fate never answered her pleas or so much as uttered her name. To no avail did Nanoha's methods work in the beginning, but through their numerous meetings, a fruitful ending was slowly unraveling from a thick mist of doubt.

**Powerful Sunset Eyes**

Certainly Fate's flowing blond hair was enticing, but to Nanoha, nothing surpassed her rival's beautiful eyes. In Fate's red eyes, a threatening bolt of cold electricity zigzagged that presaged a purpose, and yet, a distant layer of turmoil was forever embedded inside, tainting her eye's radiance. Even if her magical rival was verbally frosty, and at all costs evasive to proper reasoning, those eyes betrayed Fate's true story. Fate's standoffish body language had obviously seized her attention, but it had been those captivating eyes that Nanoha had initially been drawn towards.

Fate was successful in her dutiful portrayal of a fiercely guarded, serious mage. Her eyes hardened whenever she was motivated to accomplish her goals and targeted her enemy with precise movements, striking them at full force. Normally her deep eyes seemed vacant of feelings or wishes, but since Nanoha was perceptive, she always penetrated right through that protective shield and witnessed the reality of the situation. Those eyes were permeated by half-hidden opposite signals and marked hardships. Even if she was without magic, Nanoha would search out the deep-seated loneliness and grief indelibly engraved there. Not because those emotions were easy to detect, but they glowered back at her, reminding Nanoha of her own failure to change her life.

But her rival's disposition was beyond that of a mere emotionless robot. To even suggest such a disgraceful description for Fate was preposterous. No, Nanoha solely surmised, the soft-spoken girl's eyes were entitled to a splendid comparison instead of anything pathetically generic. The young girl's countenance and femininely soothing voice complimented her actual personality; the self Fate had altruistically beaten down in favor of pain for her mother's unquenchable happiness. Even more so, the nostalgic burgundy stretching across the horizon at sunset and the crimson of a velvety rose petal were near faithful representations of the depth in Fate's delicate eyes. Such depictions were partially correct, but no fathomable words still treaded in the range of ideas Nanoha attempted to fish out of the Japanese language and accurately identify the perfect shade of red necessary.

**A Dream World Makes an Unreachable Reality and Feelings of Determination  
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For countless seconds the world was silent and shrouded by darkness. Nanoha felt as if she was floating by herself in a vast expanse of universal space, but she was then transported to what seemed to be a euphoric consciousness. The scenery which met her visual senses and the soft breezes that brushed against her pale skin were familiar and blissfully warm, providing her with a rare sensation of peace.

The brunette stood in the middle of a busy street corner in one of the downtown shopping districts of Uminari City. Random, faceless people clamored past her and trekked across the street at the walkway, and mindless chattering quietly hummed from clustered groups nearby. According to the sun peaked at the epicenter of the sky, it was about noon, but that did not stop the intense twinkling of lights from billboards or electronics in various shop fronts from advertising the latest market product. Though, what gave her the most pleasant feeling was the mixed graceful rays of sunshine, and the shimmering and cloudless blue sky; both poured down upon her head cheerfully. She recognized this area without much effort since she passed through here weekly.

Truly, it was a magnificent day to explore the town. But before she moved, Nanoha took a wistful breath and relished the lighthearted and wonderful atmosphere. After a moment, she snapped out of her reverie and absentmindly stepped forwards, but her track of thought was shattered by something even more awe inspiring than the weather situation, causing her to pause mid-step.

"Hello Nanoha. Where were you?"

That voice - could it be? She froze in place, her foot dropping on top of the cement. A joyful burst of energy bubbled in her stomach and rose to her chest. Without thinking, Nanoha whirled around to find herself, indeed, face-to-face with Fate Testarossa.

"F-Fate-chan!" Nanoha squeaked, her eyes opening wide in shock. She should not have been that caught off-guard by Fate's presence - considering the other girl might always be somewhere in the city waiting to seize a Jewel Seed upon activation with Miss Arf – but it was hard to resist her genuine surprise when there appeared to be a another Fate next to her than the one she knew. This Fate was the one she had been striving to be friends with since they met, the friend Nanoha had wanted to call out her name in a familiar manner like now. Those simple things alone flooded the white mage's heart with happiness.

Fate's current demeanor was anything but elusive, unlike the last time the two females had seen each other days ago. A charming smile was stretched on the blonde's lips as she gazed at Nanoha with a cheerful expression. She sported a casual, all-black outfit of a frilly shirt and skirt, her silky blond hair cascading down her back after being separated by two black bows. It was a simple change of pace from Fate's Barrier Jacket, and Nanoha approved of it right off the bat. Even more satisfying was that Fate's eyes were lost of the discord Nanoha was accustomed to seeing, the red orbs devoid of the anguish and discomfort they normally harbored.

In thick contrast to Nanoha's outburst, Fate was calm and collected. Her lips lapsed into a frown at Nanoha's sudden and unexpected reaction. She titled her head to the side while expectantly staring at her friend. "What's wrong? I was getting worried about you. You were supposed to be here a half-hour ago, but I guess you were just busy at Midoriya with work, weren't you? I stayed behind to make sure you were all right, but everyone else is waiting at the theater for us so we can go inside."

Nanoha's face was blanketed by the faint red of embarrassment and a dash of lingering astonishment, but she composed herself. Whatever the meaning of this opportunity, she would grasp it and enjoy it to the fullest. She could not stay speechless forever, after all. "Y-Yeah, Fate-chan, that's what it was. Sorry I'm late. I didn't mean to worry you. Wait, we're seeing a movie?"

"Yes. In any case, Alisa, Suzuka, Yuuno, Arf, and us," Fate replied, her expression indicating she was unconvinced with Nanoha's allegations of being okay. "You don't remember? But you called everyone this morning and made the plans yourself. . . ." Fate blinked in more bewilderment, though her expression brightened shortly after. A sheepish blush spread across her cheeks in bashfulness, and her eyes averted Nanoha's as she peered down at her shoes. "But you're here now and I'm happy I can spend time with you. And well . . . Alisa called my cell phone a minute ago and said she picked the tickets out since it was her turn to choose the film and she was tired of waiting. She picked a comedy movie about animals. At least, that's what Alisa explained to me. I hope you don't mind because I thought it was okay. . . ."

Suddenly, the brown-haired female's eyes were soaked by tears. It was a poignant and overwhelming emotion, and Nanoha quickly forgot her promise to stay relaxed, accepting her feelings without a second judgment. This was Fate-chan – the person she had decided to confide her thoughts to out of all the people in the world, even her friends – and now Fate was beside her as her friend and not an enemy. Nanoha was baffled to how this had magically occurred, but at the same moment, she charged forwards and wrapped her arms around Fate's waist, hugging her with a tender warmth spreading through her body. The touch between them amplified her happiness tenfold; this was real.

"Of course, Fate-chan. I don't care what movie it is, as long as we can see it together!" Nanoha sobbed, burying her face in Fate's shirt so the pleasant moment would last longer. She completely ignored the stares people were shooting at them, and only focused on her best friend. Neither did she mind that Fate was there to see her overflowing feelings. She wanted Fate to understand that it was fine to show more emotion and not inwardly scold herself, like smiling more often because it suited her. It was not in her character to cry easily, but Nanoha's tears of content deserved an outlet.

Overhead, a little gray cloud materialized near the sun. It statically hovered by itself, but then rapidly started to fan out into a larger, more menacing black puff.

Fate flinched at the contact, but not because she was discomforted by Nanoha's closeness and the excitement in her voice. The black mage stood rooted to the spot and automatically encircled her arms around her best friend in return, though in a meek, reassuring fashion. "Okay . . . It's okay, we are . . . N-Nanoha? Are you sure you're fine? You're acting strange all of a sudden. And are you crying-?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. I'm happy," Nanoha interjected, forcing her head back to beam with pride. Fate recoiled a bit in surprise, but Nanoha's determination flared, her eyes hardening with the ideas flittering through her mind. "I like seeing you like this. It makes me happy, Fate-chan. And I promise I will save you and we'll always be friends like this, okay? I'll save you from all the things you're sad about, and you won't have to be alone anymore. Because I somehow know how you feel and I want to understand your feelings. I'm sad when something is wrong you look like you want to cry, or when you want to talk to me and you can't get the words out. I don't want to see you get hurt or die because of the Jewel Seeds. I want to help you. I don't want to fight you. It keeps happening, and I want to be the person you talk to about your feelings. Can I please be that person so we can help each other and be friends?"

The murky cloud continued to expand, approaching the sun at a particularly speedy rate. It was steadily gorging on the lively cheer and warmth in the sky, casting a dark silhouette upon the Earth. Soon enough the massive cloud fumed in hostile intention and wild bolts of lavender lightning jolted about inside, and deafening claps of thunder hissed in rage. However, neither female paid the disturbances any heed.

Fate hesitated, but gave in to her friend's affectionate confessions, seemingly powerless to disregard the honesty in the other girl's eyes. A few lone tears from jumbled emotions also dropped from her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She humbly nodded in agreement and confirmation, though her expression still said she was confused, yet internally thankful. Nanoha reached out and lightly wiped a few tears off Fate's cheek with her finger, regretful that she had made the blond cry just because she had become sentimental. But she was positive the black mage felt honored to have a friend who cared about her so much, and dumbfounded for what to say to display her own earnest thoughts.

At this point, Nanoha realized that she was gripping the back of Fate's shirt and let her hand slip to her side. What an awfully embarrassing action, and having made such an open speech. It was okay, though. She had been serious in what she had sworn to the blond, and her shoulders felt less weighed down by undisclosed thoughts. She was mentally drained, too, but she did not let her face betray her. Nanoha sniffled a bit and cleaned under her eyes with the back of her hand before Fate could wipe her tears away like she had hers, and satisfaction settled next to the happiness in her chest. She would be stronger and more independent from now on, more so than she had forced herself to become since her early childhood.

When the two settled down from their stirred emotions, they released each other from their tight hug and parted. Nanoha uncomfortably shifted, mystified for what to talk about next, until Fate sliced the tension with a reminder about the whole reason they were standing on that street corner in the first place.

"Oh, right. We better hurry because the movie will start in less than fifteen minutes. Probably less by this point. We have to pick out snacks still," Fate murmured. Another smile replaced the blonde's uncertainty for her friend's behavior, and she gingerly extended her hand. "I know we had our differences in the past and I was depressed, but now I'm really happy that we're good friends and can tell each other everything, too. Or we will. For today let's have fun and tonight Arf and I can train with you and Yuuno so we can do our best for Bardiche and Raising Heart. Let's give it our all and do everything we can to help each other through all of our struggles."

Nanoha grinned, satisfied with Fate's apologizes and encouragement, even if it was not necessary to voice them out loud. Still, those words filled her with warmth. "Thank you, Fate-chan. Yes, let's become stronger." Without further delay, she reached for her friend's hand so they could continue to the theater.

However, before their fingers touched, the raging thunderstorm churned out a massive blast of wind. Violent, freezing gusts rippled through the city's streets and knocked some unfortunate passerby into the surrounding buildings. Both girls were forced to recognize the storm then as it caught them off-balance, and Nanoha shut her eyes. She unconsciously attempted to fight and stay upright in the overpowering wind, grappling for anything sturdy, whether it was a random pole or Fate to keep her from falling to the ground.

The wind lasted a whole minute before it subsided, and miraculously did not push Nanoha over as well. Shaken and cold in a sleeveless shirt and short skirt, the white mage blinked in confusion, her smooth hair ruffled and the red ribbons tying her side pigtails together loosened. Her arms were crossed around her middle as she searched for the blond. It more difficult to see now that the area was darker with the clouds making the sky as colorless as the night, and the street was filled with blown debris. No other people were there, She was enveloped by fear when Fate was nowhere in sight. Almost frantically her gaze ventured until she managed to glimpse the girl on the rooftop of a tall building to her left-hand side.

Even from a distance it was apparent that Fate's listless eyes and deadpan expression had returned as she stared down at Nanoha like a wolf targeting a troublemaker in its territory. She wielded Bardiche in Scythe Form, and stood ready in her Barrier Jacket, unphased by the bouts of wind or the lightning bolts sizzling in the clouds. The brown-haired girl's heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach when she saw this reverse in personality, yet reluctantly realized her position. On instinct she touched the spot Raising Heart normally hung from around her neck, but was shocked to find the device missing. It was lonely in that street all by herself, considering that everyone else had probably scouted out shelter in the other buildings, and the support she had grown to rely on recently was not available. Basically, she was defenseless and on her own again.

An extended, timeless moment dragged along while they exchanged glances. Ironically the thing that uttermost irritated Nanoha was that she was unable to predict Fate's next thoughts or course of action. Would the black mage attack her without her being any real threat, or leave her alone? Not even she believed Fate would harm her for no gain, though she knew barely anything about her. Or was she there because of another reason? Nanoha could not sense any Jewel Seeds in the immediate perimeter of the city, so this encounter was strange. She had been so close to Fate being happy a second ago and now was thrusted back to square one.

How annoying.

But Fate provided her rival little time to devise a tactic against her. Without warning, the female quickly raised Bardiche towards the sky, sparks of lightning charging from a command. She jumped from the building's rooftop and raced downwards with admirable speed towards Nanoha, not faltering in the least bit. The new mage stepped backwards in disbelief and apprehension, and gathered her options during these kinds of situations; all she was positive of was that this challenge would not be concluded by surrendering. But her hope for somehow getting herself out of this bind slowly diminished as Fate closed in on her, a few yards in the air.

Then a familiar energy burst into life, clamping down on Nanoha's wrists and ankles. She peered over to discover the yellow rings of Lightning Bind keeping her movements checked to the same spot. The white mage wrestled against them to break free, but found it useless to try and escape. In reflex, her eyes widened and she gasped, horrified. The last thing Nanoha saw before she protectively jerked her eyes shut was the black canvas of the clouds and lavender lightning crackling behind the Fate as she yelled out and swung Bardiche from over her shoulder in full strength.

And-

Nanoha's eyes fluttered open.

Confusion swept over the nine-year-old's tired mind. The sequences of the dream she just had strayed from her memory one frame at a time, though she devotedly clung to each second. Sheer disappointment shoved out the elation surging in Nanoha's veins when she understood what had happened. Her hand was pointed towards the ceiling of her room with her fingers reaching out for something not there. She softly exhaled and let her hand fall on top of the bed, blankly gazing upwards in regret. In the background the female could hear Yuuno's soft breathing as he calmly slept in his brown basket next to Raising Heart on her desk.

In the end she remembered very little of her vivid dream. However, she clearly pictured Fate's pure smile, and that allowed a brief smile of her own to twist at her lips. At the end the black mage had attacked her during the thunderstorm - that was true - but it just meant she had to work harder to bring Fate to her senses.

Nanoha clenched her fist confidently.

_A dream? So short. And Fate-chan, I'm sorry . . . But it's okay. I'll work hard again tomorrow to find the Jewel Seeds so someday you'll always be my friend, Fate-chan. I'll take your hand and our beginning will start. Then we can see as many animal movies as you want. Maybe ones with dogs. _Nanoha sleepily shut her slate blue eyes and shifted the warm, light pink blankets surrounding her so she could roll to her side, and drifted off to another peaceful rest.

When the rain would finally fall and the weather was not overcast anymore a dawn of hope would emerge, after all.

**The Serious Fight and Unveiled Secrets  
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It was morning. The time was at hand, so she snuck out of her house and ran through Uminari City to the pier because Fate was waiting for her arrival there. The two mages were destined to engage in an anticipated showdown with all their magical girl willpower and abilities; it was their first and last serious battle as enemies, and whoever the winner was would decide the Jewel Seed's owner. Arf tried to persuade her master to stop protecting Precia, but she had refused. Still, Nanoha half-heartedly accepted the inevitable fight to come. She had felt this particular measure would be the only chance to permanently seal the deal of what would happen next, and then the wheels of time would creak forwards to an actual end.

Fate had shown Nanoha her skills, powers and strengths on countless occasions, so the brunette honored that mindset and held nothing back. They bravely fought, soared around the gray sky in criss-crosses, and fired each spell with their minds set not just for the artifacts but themselves. It was absolutely tough, but Nanoha eventually wore Fate's strategy down. Especially, might she add, with the final resort of Starlight Breaker, even if she had never practiced such a powerful spell. But it definitely earned victory, though it did knock Fate conscious into the sea after unleashing its furious mass of energy and roar of destruction. To be honest, she was more relieved that the fight was finished than winning over her opponent.

Sorry Fate.

Soon after, things toppled downhill. Precia attacked Fate and the invasion of the Garden of Time commenced. The blond was physically safe on the Arthura, but not from the psychological damage from harsh insults that might as well have been hurled through the ship's monitor at Fate before Nanoha escorted her out of the control room. Sympathy caused the female to stand at Fate's side in distress from Precia's words, and grip onto her friend's shoulder with worry, aware that no amount of comfort would help her. In a way, Nanoha was astounded that Fate did not cry. Actually, it was believable. The electric mage was beyond bittersweet tears - they had evaporated long ago. She was paralyzed with feelings ripped apart, numb in despair, and reflected each word taunted at her onto herself. The girl stared blankly ahead, broken and disowned by the one she loved with every ounce of devotion.

This flared Nanoha's anger higher than it had ever been in her entire lifetime. Fate had done her best in collecting the Jewel Seeds. She had not gotten them all, but her treatment for everything she had suffered through was in vain with a slap to the face and probably other unimaginable punishments. How could Fate's mother show her daughter so much animosity and hostility – such a wild and grief-stricken face? Why would she torment her by calling her a fake, worthless? Fate was Alicia, and Alicia was Fate. Maybe the deceased girl in the glass tank was the basis of her friend in traits and appearance, but Fate was her own person and deserved that recognition. Simply knowing that Fate had technically once died squeezed the breath in Nanoha's lungs out. She was stumped on how to handle this revelation. The concept was bizarre, but Nanoha's sense of her friend was not shattered in the least bit. If anything, it took her less time to accept this whole mess more.

When Arf had revealed her side of the story on Earth Nanoha had understood the need to save her friend, but this was wrenching to the core. It was unfathomable to her how Precia could punish Fate for no reason other than being the joy of any parent, and definitely after considering her mother was the polar opposite to this woman. Or that conclusion at least seemed right on the surface. In a sense, the face of a former motherly complexion was there, cloaked underneath remorse.

But that gave Precia no excuse for her actions.

Nanoha had to drag herself from Fate's side to head with company to the Garden of Time to arrest Precia Testarossa. Whatever she had to do for her friend would have to wait until after the girl recovered in her room. It was difficult and seemed useless, but she fought and destroyed dozens of protective robots with Chrono, Yuuno, and Arf. However, a certain bolt of lightning surged down from above and, in what was pure surprise to Nanoha, Fate appeared to assist in the effort. The brunette was unsure of what exactly elicited her friend's drive to join them, but the blonde's dead expression had flipped into one with more energy than Nanoha had expected to see for a while. From then, the two girls fought alongside each other as the beginning of their budding partnership.

A bell of awakening soon rang when Precia rejected Fate face-to-face for the last time and the gateway was opened to the fabled Al Hazard. Desperately, Nanoha stretched her hand out so she could save Fate from falling into the dimensional space created by the Jewel Seeds with Alicia and her mother. Fate stared into the swirling and bright space, obviously wanting to stay with her late family, even when she knew the consequences. That alone pressed Nanoha to fly faster.

Nanoha hovered in the air, breathless to know Fate's reply in that slowed silence.

The building crumbled, inviting the end for anyone who landed inside. . . .

But she waited for that final decision of life or death with pleading eyes as Fate knelt on the ledge by herself. . . . .

Seconds elapsed. . . .

Fate flew upwards. . . .

And the two mages' hands touched.

Right then, the pieces of fate were reconstructed.

Departure on the Bridge

It was no secret that Nanoha sorely missed Fate as the hours ticked by. The poor girl had endured so much rejection from her mother, and she probably needed another shoulder to lean on that understood her feelings. Thankfully she had Arf at her side and the kind people on the Arthura to keep her company and provide her with anything necessary. That knowledge let Nanoha relax a bit.

Conversely the white mage was ecstatic when she received the phone call telling her that she was finally allowed to meet and speak to her precious Fate after what felt like months, before the girl was whisked away from Earth by the Arthura crew to the TSAB for her criminal actions. Nanoha's unbridled and boundless enthusiasm stemmed from the wishes and misery which had made this outcome; nothing else was more crucial than seeing Fate. Her heartbeat hastened as her past rival's gentle features entered her mind, and racing adrenaline energized her entire being.

Soon enough, the two girls were together on the white bridge overlooking the vast, gleaming waters of the ocean. Fate's angelic smile and kind red eyes were intact after so much effort, both filled with happiness. And this time they were beyond enchanting because it was not just concocted in a dream, but reality.

It was a perfect day.

It was funny and embarrassing to have to admit that she was lost on what to say. Nanoha mentioned to Fate that before she had seen her face there were tons of exciting things tumbling through her mind, but they were all forgotten when she saw Fate's face again. It was weird, but expected somehow. Maybe she had wanted to talk about the Jewel Seeds, their meeting, her family and friends, and even about Fate's origins – but none of that was relevant then. Their faces mirrored the same expression as they kept still and quiet. The atmosphere was awkward, but it changed for the better. Nanoha was able to teach the blond friendship and the art of becoming a friend. Those ideas were simple to the brunette, but no less pleasing to see someone foreign to those concepts gladly embrace them. They hugged, cried, and the other girl thanked her for saving her. But most importantly, the two were able to talk to each other without any interruptions and Fate called her name for the first time in her soft voice.**  
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Sadly, their touching reunion was short-lived. Before Enforcer Chrono guided Fate and Arf away to the Arthura and then to Mid-Childa, Nanoha mentally chided herself on what this final moment meant. This was the last time in which she could see her new friend for whatever length of time it took the trials to end. The distance would be immense through light years of space, even if the two sent each other video mails or something of the sort, and that brought her another pang of unwanted melancholy. However, that is when leapt through Nanoha's mind to exchange ribbons. It was all she had - simple but effective. She was surprised, yet thrilled, when Fate returned the favor. Now they were in each other's memories whenever they were in the wide universe, and the sadness could be conquered.

Perhaps the future was obscure, but now it felt brighter. The rain had fallen and washed away some pain, the gloomy clouds dissipated, and the sun was once again cheerfully pouring down on her head as she watched them teleport off with Yuuno perched atop her shoulder.

Because now. . . .

Nanoha had her special companion.


End file.
